Devin Booker celebrated at Moss Point High School

While waiting for his number #1 to float from the ceiling of the Footprint Center one day, Devin Bookerin the beginning, was able to take advantage this weekend of the withdrawal of his former number #2 at Moss Point High School.

A native of Michigan where he spent his younger years with his mother, “Book”, as a teenager, then left to live in Moss Point, a small town of about 15,000 in his native Mississippi of his father. , when the latter, a former pro player in various European championships, retired in the early 2010s.

There, he played for the local high school team, like his father before him, where he easily imposed himself on the radar of Kentucky and then the NBA, becoming a “lottery pick” on the night of 2015 Draft. .

Almost eight years after his departure from high school, the man who is now a triple All-Star and one of the best scorers in the world returned to Moss Point, taking advantage of Mississippi’s proximity to Louisiana to make the trip, an hour and a half by car, Saturday afternoon.

Accompanied by his entire team, of course. ” I brought some guests, as you can see so he declared in front of the thousands of friends, former teammates and teachers present in the room.

” [Le retrait du maillot] means a lot to me. These people believed in me from the beginning, they saw me grow, go through different trials and gain confidence in myself. the All-Star fullback reacted. “All the values ​​I learned here, I kept and took with me everywhere else afterwards. […] The confidence, the aggressiveness. This is a blue-collar town, where everyone is proud to represent the town. I am one of them. »

His teammates were happy to share this moment with him

Drowning in the crowd, where locals of all ages did not fail to take pictures with the man who became one of the faces of the NBA, Devin Booker took advantage of every moment, in the land of his youth.

But his teammates, in their own way, also soaked up the warm atmosphere of the small, cautious but united Southern town of the United States. Because if they weren’t directly concerned with the event, the other Suns players were still affected by the authenticity of the moment.

” The love that the whole town has for the Book, it’s great “His coach is appreciated in particular Monty Williams. ” It’s huge. A jersey retired for the Book, this should be a movie honestly! exclaimed meanwhile Deandre Ayton. ” I know it means a lot to him. And I’m really glad we took the time to come, because it’s his day. »

On his side, Damion Lee saw the birth of a potential icon there, for Moss Point basketball players. ” He is like a beacon of hope for all these children. Maybe in five or ten years, a player out of Moss Point will be in the NBA, and Devin will be his inspiration. Stephen Curry’s brother-in-law launched.

” That was my goal, when I came here “the main interested party confirmed, that he will finance together with his father the arrangement of the land and the changing rooms. ” Inspire the youth. Show them that it is possible to come from here and achieve great things. »

Photo credit: Duane Rankin – Arizona Republic